"Thomas is one of those outstanding Southern writers – seemingly soft, languid, maybe even lazy, when actually what he is, is cotton wrapped about a razor. Half the time you don't even know he's gotten you until it's too late." – Charles L. Grant

A former newspaper reporter and TV news producer, Thomas is an award winning writer, essayist and playwright. He writes suspense that delves into the darker side of our nature while examining the more noble aspects of who we are.

The Latest

Unthinkable Choice is available now (ghosted)

My short story, "Mother and Child Reunion," has been picked up for a future broadcast of Tales to Terrify.

My short story, "The Heart is a Determined Hunter," was featured in The Horror Zine.

You can now hear my story, "The Heart is a Determined Hunter," free on Tales to Terrify. Click the image below to listen.

Tales to Terrify

SOMETHING STIRS

For more information about my supernatural suspense novel, Something Stirs, click on the cover to go to the Something Stirs site.

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Is it Time to Drop the Cute?

Is your email address WonderfulWriterGirl@whatever.com? How about FictionWritingDude@website.net? Do you have letterhead (digital or otherwise) that has a little bunny reading a book, or lots of smiling flowers on a Pepto-Bismol® pink background? If you do, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Unless, of course, you want to be published.

Now if that’s the case, you’re sunk before your ship ever leaves the dock.

Many writers I know (and a whole bunch I don’t) have cute writing-related email addresses, taglines (sprinkling joy and sunshine with a touch of unicorn dust — gag me with a Smurf), cute letterhead, and cute pet phrases tossed liberally in each query, all of which they feel are guaranteed to catch an editor’s attention.

And they’e right.

But its the wrong kind of attention.

Writing is a business. At least the kind of writing that editors pay for on a regular basis is a business. And to be taken seriously as a professional, a writer has to look like a professional. That includes everything from your choice of email address to the way you craft your queries. I know of people who have even gone so far as to purchase a web domain just so they can use their name in an email address. Something like BobSatterwhite@BobSatterwhite.com. An easier (and cheaper) solution is to just use some form of your name in the email somehow. Something like bobsatterwhite10000000@some-domain.com.

“But Thomas,” some of you are saying right about now, “I want to be memorable. There’s a lot of competition out there and I want to make an impact on the editors.” If that’s the case, let your writing and your professionalism make you memorable. I can promise you, if an editor receives a well written query, a professional proposal, or an engaging story/article/play/bumper sticker/book/greeting card verse, you WILL make an impression. And it will be the right impression.

Cute has its place:

Puppies

Babies

Trolls

The Church Christmas Pageant (you don’t know there wasn’t an angel showing off her Smurf underwear at the manger)

Kittens

My 82-year-old mother-in-law dating

…but your writing career isn’t on the list.

However, on behalf of all the other writers trying to pay the bills with their scribblings, we encourage you to be as cute as you want to be.

Thanks for this. I get really turned-off by things like nextbestseller@… or my favorite ball team122. As a writer I have enough to remember who is who without trying to remember their dog’s name. It makes sense that if you want an editor or reader to remember your name to use it. Thanks again for the post.